ROME, Ga. — Shorter University, a Christian liberal arts college in Rome, Ga., has announced a policy which will require its more than 200 employees to sign a “Personal Lifestyle Statement” rejecting homosexuality.
The university’s president, Don Dowless, made it clear any staffer not signing the agreement faces immediate termination. The policy also requires staffers to reject premarital sex and adultery, prohibits consumption of alcoholic beverages in front of students, or attending university events within six hours of consuming alcohol.
“I think that anybody who adheres to a lifestyle that is outside of what the biblical mandate is and of what the board has passed, including the president, would not be allowed to continue here,” Dowless said, in an interview with a local television station.
New employees will have to sign the agreement, and existing employees will have to sign it to renew their contracts.
“Failure to adhere to this statement may result in disciplinary action up to and including immediate termination,” the statement says.
A gay employee who works at Shorter told The GA Voice, “We now will live in fear that someone who doesn’t like us personally or someone who has had a bad day will report that we’ve been drinking or that we are suspected of being gay.”
The Personal Lifestyle Statement was adopted by the Board of Trustees on Oct. 21 and presented to employees on Oct. 24. It was one of several policies approved by the Board — others include a “Policy for Christian Education,” “Biblical Principles on the Integration of Faith and Learning” and a “Statement of Faith.”
A Shorter student who asked not to be identified said “that the university is judging others, contrary to what the Bible teaches.” Students, however, are not required to sign the policy.
”Anything outside that is not biblical, we do not accept,” Dowless told the television station. “We have a right to hire only Christians.”
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Georgia is getting wierder and wierder,,,,,what else is new?
Quite frankly, the dumb fuck that said to reject homosexuality or get fired should be the one to get booted. A-hole.
I reject conformity.
Who would Jesus discriminate against? Oh yeah, no one.
I wonder how many of them will not sign…
Ugh so ignorant…
What a shame.
Nothing says Christian love like treating people who are different than you like fucking lepers!
As gross as it is, I can respect their right to have that policy. There are plenty of other colleges at which one could teach and, on the student end, attend. I strongly disagree with it but if they are a private institution, they can make that rule.
WTF! >:(
Isn’t it against the law for employers to discriminate against employees solely because of their lifestyle choices? Isn’t it against the law to discriminate (at least in a professional setting) period?
Christianinty (in this case) and Liberal Arts don’t belong in the same sentence.
So does the policy also make them have to fire all women, too? And people who shave? And people who wear polyester? What about women on their periods, will they be able to teach? I’m finding the dean’s email and emailing him right now; if I’m going to attend a “true christian university” I have to make sure it’s Christian to the T! … Oh wait, that’d probably mean I couldn’t attend an university given I’m a woman….
Mitchell’s got a point.
Yep, just like discriminating against women in a men’s club, it’s their prerogative. But, if that’s the way they want to play the game, then it’s time to end all religious over/undertones to teaching in the public schools, as stated, if they want to teach creationism, bible this, prayer that, then they can send their children to private religious based schools. And as far as all that goes, like I fully support and wish I could see in my lifetime, end the tax exempt status of churches. Separation of Church and State doesn’t mean special treatment pretending to be Freedom of Religion. You can worship however you choose, and you can pay taxes like everyone else in this country to support the country you’re enjoying that right of freedom in.
so sick of homophobia in the name of God….if you hate gays thats your business….dont try and tell me God hates gays….I’m a Christian…I read the Bible…I’m Gay
THUMBS DOWN….way DOWN!
well fuck that!
Wait, so why are people “liking” this?
Nothing like legalised discrimination by Churches. So over it. How do they keep getting away with it?? Why do we let them keep getting away with it???????? This is just bullshit. It’s fucked.
FASCISTS!!!!!!!!!!
We need to OCCUPY KKKristian Plutocratic Institutions
So sad and disgusting, Jesus would not require such b.s. for that matter he never asked anyone before healing them or telling them they would be in the kingdom to even say he was Lord or say a sinners prayer. This organization probably gets big bucks from the government too.
I wonder how much this will end up by costing them :-)
Liberal arts? In what world re they liberal? I see in their future a lot of classes without teachers, and a number of law suits. This could be fun to watch
Georgia Christan College SHAME ON U!!!!!
The KKK rises again
Here we again with these so called “Christians”. You are a bunch of homophobic idiots. You guys are not real Christians.
Where are the rules about not eating shellfish, not wearing mixed fabrics or clothes of the “wrong” gender, and not touching menstruating women? ::eyeroll::
This is why HeartStrong and HeartStrong’s Youth Empowerment Project exists!
Wonder how many of them have sold their daughters into slavery and what they got for them? Did they marry virgins? If not, the townspeople are to stone them.
@ Kevin these morons pick and choice which parts of the bible to believe and which parts to ignore.
Well, that would have done the Jewish rabbi in, drinking wine in front of his students/disciples.
I feel bad for all the GLBT kids who now have to stay in hiding and in the closet for fear of being tattled on and kicked out of school. Because… hey… if the teachers aren’t safe, how can they possibly be?
I’m waiting for that one day where there will be no prejudiced in the world, and these sons of a mothers are not make in it easier
Homosexuality is not a lifestyle. It angers me to no end when losers who know nothing about human sexuality say otherwise!
Please!!! Someone sue them!!
they will never know who is gay and who isn’t…
It does not say “go to the whole world and preach the good news to the heterosexual people”.
He is hiding his eyes in shame and disbelief. shaking his head in wonder that we still haven’t go it. That we still refuse to see that we were all made in his image – every single one of us – sexual orientation was not put on a list that says everyone but these.
Shades of Hitler’s Germany.
Seriously? So this college wants its gay employees, who were born that way, i.e., made by God that way, to sign a statement where they lie so they can keep their job?? There’s that good, forgiving Christian spirit that goes against what Jesus would do . . . as usual!!!
Voice your thoughts on this petition.
http://signon.org/sign/stop-shorter-university.fb1?source=s.fb.ty&r_by=1484452
Shades of Old Joe Mccarthy here….Are you or have you ever been?
Time to burn Rome, again?
It’s a christian college, what can you expect?
Why is it that hypocrites and bigots – the very people, we are told, that Jesus the Good found most detestable – hide behind a tome of lies, exaggerations and dishonest misinterpretations in an attempt to find verification for their intolerant attitudes?
Isn’t this kind of contract illegal?
students should protest and teachers should walk out. why work at a place that wants to control your life.
Well done Shorter College!
Its about time someone took a stance for whats right and moral! I agree…well done Shorter College!!
If you people read the bible you’d know several things you seem not to. Such as Jesus still said don’t be Gay, though He didn’t discriminate them. It’s the same as saying to a murderer “You are fine to exist here in society, but you gotta stop killing people.” As for the arguments about polyester and menstruation, how ignorant can you be to not realize we are under the new covenant. Jesus was touched by a woman bleeding for several years and Peter was told that any animal is fine to eat. As a student at another Bible College in Georgia I feel like this rule is stupid, it shouldn’t be needed if this place was truly Christian, because the school should expect peoples lifestyles to line up with a biblical directive.
This is why Im ignoring my pastor who wants to meet with me. All christians hate gays which these days seems like another word for hypocrisy. they want the perfect male to female family yet there are always scandals from sexting to affairs and divorce. look at the kardashians….